Method of making separable fasteners



Dec. 2, 1941. H. MORIN 2,264,324

METHOD OF MAKING SEPARABLE FASTENERS Filed Aug. 11', 1938 INVENTOR LOU/5 Mom/v ATTORNEY Patented 2, 19.41

METHOD OF FASTENERS Louis-H. Morin, Bronx, N. 2., assignor to Whitehall Patents Corporation, Bronx, N. Y., a corporation of New York Application August 11, 1938, Serial No. 224,268

'4 Claims.

Thi invention relates to separable fasteners and particularly to the construction of various.

types and kinds of metallic fastener stringers;

tate the electroplating of each and all of the links in each stringer length as well as in the method of constructing fastener stringers as herein set forth. The novel features of the invention will be best understood from the following description and annexed drawing in which certain embodiments of the invention are 'disclosed and in which the separate parts are designated by suitable reference characters in each of the views, and in which:

Fig. 1 is a plane view of part of the two stringers of a separable fastener made according to theinventioni and showing a slider arranged thereon.

Fig. 2 is an enlarged sectional detail view of a stringer tape employed in the formation of the stringers shown in Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is an enlarged side view of a part of one of the cords forming part of thebead of the stringer tape as seen in Fig. 2, and illustrating the arrangement of the tinsel thereon..

Fig. 4 is an enlarged detail view of a part of the tinsel, strand, or thread employed, ,detached; and

Fig. 5 is a view similar to Fig. 3 showing the use of a pair of tinsel strands instead of a single strand.

This invention constitutes an improvement over the invention disclosed in my prior Patent #2,063,515, issued December 8, 1936, and carries out the basic principles of said earlier patent in the construction of what might be termed built-up stringer tapes; that is to say, stringer tapes formed from a straight strip of fabric to one edge portion of which is attached two strands or cords to form the enlarged beaded edge, which strands or cords may be attached to the stringer tapes in accordance with the teachings in my application Serial'No. 209,- 889, filed May 25, 1938.

It is one of the distinctive features of my invention to provide mounting or stringer tapes for separable fastener stringers of the character described having incorporated therein, or in the edge portion of the tape to which the metallic links. are secured, a wire or metallic strand or what is commonly refered to as a tinsel; that is to say, a fabric strand or thread wrapped spirally with a fine wire so that each link attached to the tape contacts the metallic strand thereby completing an electric circuit to all of the links .facilitating the electroplating of said links. This platingis not only for the purpose of applying the conventional nickel, chromium, silver, brass, copper, and other platings, but also for the purpose of applying various color platings to the links in accordance with more recent processes. In connection with the color plating, the same has been applied successfully on devices composed of aluminum; and in this con nection it will be understood that the links of the stringers may be composed of aluminum, or if desired, may be suitably plated prior to the application of the color platings thereto.

The color plating of the links of separable fastener stringers is desirable in many uses of the fasteners to match or blend the links to the merchandise or products in connection with which the same are used. By constructing the stringer tapes in the manner herein described, a verysimple and economical means is provided for performing the electroplating operations upon the links of the stringers, while at the same time producing thoroughly and completely plated links or scoops which will result in a neat and finished appearance.

My invention lends itself especially to the formation of stringer tapes where the links or scoops are made from die cast materials which may be die cast upon the tape directly in a successive series of casting operations or separately cast and attached to the stringer tapes. It will thus be seen that cast aluminum links maybe employed or zinc castings or other metal castings may be provided and plated in the manner set forth.

In the accompanying drawing I have shown one method of carrying my invention into effect which consists basically in first spirally wrapping or winding a metallic strand or tinsel upon a cord and then stitching one or two of these cords to the edge of a plain tape to provide a stringer tape suitable for the attachment of links thereto so as to produce a tape vof economical construction. When two cords or strands are employed, it will be understood that one, or if desired, both of the cords may include the wire or tinsel strand.

For purposes of illustration I have shown in Fig.l of the drawing at l and ilc, the two stringers of a separable fastener having coupling links or scoops ll, Ila, thereon, which are adapted to be coupled and uncoupled by. a slider l2 movable longitudinally of the stringers; the slider having a pull ll partially shown in Fig. 1 for actuating the same.

In Fig. 2 of the drawing I have shown the cross-section of one of the stringers ill, Illa; and as these stringers are of the same construction the brief description of one will apply to the other. Each stringer consists of a plain tape ll made of any desired texture and strength, adapting it to the different uses to which the fastener may be employed. To one edge portion of the tape i4 is secured two cords or strands I5, I50, which are shown as being of the same construction. However. it will be understood that one of these cords may be plain and the other wrapped with a fine wire strand l6 which may be in the form of a tinsel, this wrapping being spirally disposed upon the cord as is illustrated in Fig. 3 of the drawing.

While a plain fine wire may be used as the strand l6, especially by reason of its being wrapped around the cord I5, I may use what is commonly referred to as a tinsel strand wherein a filler thread lGa is employed around which is spirally wrapped a fine wire lBb as is illustrated in Fig. 4 of the drawing. The two cords l5, lia, constructed as above defined, are arranged upon opposite surfaces of the tape ll adjacent one edge thereof; namely the edge to which the links ii, Ila, are to be secured. These cords are stitched or otherwise secured in position, a stitching l'l being illustrated in Figs. 1 and 2 of the drawing. This stitching may be in the form of conventional threads, or if desired, the stitching may be performed in accordance with the teachings in my prior application, Serial No. 209,889, filed May 25, 1938, hereinbefore referred to. In the application in question, a metal strand is laid in zigzag fashion longitudinally of one of the cords, and of course, this lay of the metal strand or tinsel is not essential in the present instance, but may be employed if desired, to provide a further means of electric conductivity to the respective links of each stringer.

In Fig. 5 of the drawing, I have shown a slight modification wherein the cord I5 is wrapped with two wires or strands I8 which may consist of nothing but a fine wire or of the tinsel as illustrated in Fig. 4 of the drawing. This construction is simply to provide a closer arrangement of the separate windings upon the cord so as to more positively insure the contact of each link with the conductor employed: The type of construction shown in Fig. 5 would be desirable where only one of the cords I5, 1501, includes the conductor and the other is left plain; or as shown in Fig. 2 of the drawing, both cords may include the spirally wrapped electric conductor.

In addition to providing the electric conductor for the plating purposes as herein set forth, the strands l6, l6, also provide means for reinforcing and strengthening the beaded edge portion of the tapewhile at the same time maintaining the desired flexibility of the tape to satisfy the various requirements of fasteners of this kind. However, in some instances, it may be desirable to use heavier metallic strands to produce greater reinforcement and more rigidity. This is especially true in what might be termed heavy duty types of separable fasteners. In these latter instances, it might also be desirable to use metallic threads rather than conventional cotton or silk threads in performing the stitching operation as at H.

After the stringer tapes have been formed, the same may be passed through suitable machines for the attachment of the links or scoops Ii, Ha, thereon. These scoops may be formed and applied in any desired manner or be directly die cast on the beaded edges of the tapes. It will also be apparent that the links or scoops may be constructed of any suitable metals, and in the case of producing what I term color plated links in accordance with my process, I may use links composed entirely of aluminum or aluminum alloys, or links composed of metals or other alloys, in which latter event the same will be first suitably plated and then passed through the color plating process to produce the desired color on the resulting links in accordance with the anodic method or other processes.

In connection with the plating operation of the links of the stringers, it will be understood that these stringers may be plated as stringer units or a successive series of stringer sections may be plated in one operation in accordance with conventional practice in what is termed a continuous chain-like plating operation. After the plating operation, the separate stringer lengths are subdivided.

From the foregoing it will be apparent that basically the present invention relates to the arranged of an electric-conductor on a cord to constitute a part thereof prior to the attachment of the cord to a tape in forming a complete stringer tape, and to do this in such manner as to expose the conductor on one or both cords of the tape to contact each and all of the links secured thereto. While the illustrations in the accompanying drawing are largely exaggerated, it will be understood that the arrangement of the conductor strands on the cords will be such as to produce the desired result.

It will be understood that inthe stitching operation, the cords l5, l5a, will be somewhat fiattened upon the opposed surfaces of the tape or strip I, but in any event the major portion of the spirally wrapped conductor is exposed to outer surfaces of the cord with respect to each complete winding of the conductor so that regardless of the spacing ofthe spiral winding, contact with each conductor is assured. This is especially true when die cast links are employed,- bearing in mind that cast metal extends well into the crevices of the fabric material employed as well as the crevices between the cords and the tape.

Having fully described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. The herein described method ofmanufacturing stringers of separable fasteners to permit electroplatingof theseparate links of the stringers, which consists .in providing an elongated mounting tape of fibrous material, providing an elongated cord, arranging an electric conductor on the cord to expose the conductor throughout the major portion of the length of said cord, then securing the cord with the conductor thereon to one edge of said tape throughout the length of the tape, then applying the coupling links of the stringer tape to said corded edge at predetermined spaced intervals whereby each attached link in a given stringer length will contact the conductor of said cord establishing continuous electric circuit throughout all of said links on a ers, which consists in providing an elongated 1 mounting tape of fibrous material, providing an elongated cord, spirally arranging an electric conductor on the cord to expose the conductor throughout the major portion of the length of said cord, then securing the cord with the conductor thereon to one edge of saidtape througln out the length of the tape by a line of stitching, then applying the coupling links of the stringer tape to said corded edge at predetermined spaced intervals whereby each attached link in a given stringer length will contact the conductor of said cord establishing continuous electric circuit throughout all of said links on a stringer tape 01' predetermined length, and then electroplating said links;

3. The herein described method of manufacturing stringers of separable fasteners, which consists in providing an elongated mounting tape of fibrous material, providing an elongated cord, arranging an electric conductor on the cord to expose the conductor throughout the major portion of the length of said cord, then securing the cordwith the conductor thereon to one edge of said tape throughout the length of the tape, then applying the coupling links or the stringer tape to said corded edge at predetermined spaced intervals whereby each attached link in a given stringer length will contact the conductor of said cord establishing continuous electric circuit throughout all of said links on a stringer tape of predetermined length, applying one plating to said links, then applying another color plating to said pre-plated links, and at least one of the platings being formed by electrodeposition. v

4. The herein described method of manufacturing stringers of separable fasteners, which consists in providing an elongated mounting tape of fibrous material, providing. an elongated cord, arranging an electric conductor on the cord .to expose the conductor throughout the major portion of the length of said cord, then securing the cord with the conductor thereon to one edge of said tape throughout the length of the tape, then applying the coupling links oi the stringer tape to said corded edge at predetermined spaced intervals whereby each attached link in a given stringer length will contact the conductor of said cord establishing continuous electric circuit throughout all of said links on a stringer tape of predetermined length, thentreating the resulting product to form a suitable plating on the links, then subjecting the resulting plated product to a further plating treatment for color plating the respective links of the stringer, and at least one ofthe platings being formed by electrodeposition.

LOUIS H. MORINL 

